Lando Norris wins world title after finishing third in Abu Dhabi GP

Reigning champion Verstappen claims victory at Yas Marina Circuit but it's McLaren driver who takes honours

McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates winning the world championship at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit. All images Chris Whiteoak / The National

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen during the race at Yas Marina Circuit

McLaren driver Lando Norris finished third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to win the 2025 drivers' championship at the Yas Marina Circuit

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen celebrates winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Max Verstappen en route to winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit

McLaren's Lando Norris during the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit. All images Chris Whiteoak / The National

Start of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit

Max Verstappen at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has his picture taken with the rest of the team at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

A flypast before the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

McLaren driver Lando Norris at the drivers' parade at Yas Marina Circuit

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen with the rest of the team in Abu Dhabi

Mercedes driver George Russell before the drivers' parade

Aston Matin's Fernando Alonso and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli

Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto and Haas driver Oliver Bearman

The Red Bull team move Max Verstappen's car on race day at Yas Marina Circuit

McLaren engineers work on the car on Sunday

Visitors arrive for race day at the Yas Marina Circuit

A fan looks at the world championship trophy at Yas Marina Circuit

Fans arrive for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg and Martin Brundle

Oscar Piastri ahead of the race

Social media creator Khaby Lame in the paddock at Yas Marina Circuit

Terry Crews and Ronaldinho in Abu Dhabi

Lando Norris is the new Formula One world champion after finishing third in the season-ending Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

The race at Yas Marina Circuit was won by Max Verstappen but it was McLaren driver Norris who was victorious in the drivers' championship after finishing behind the Dutchman and teammate Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen crossed the line 12.5 seconds clear of runner-up Piastri with Norris 3.9 seconds behind his McLaren teammate.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth with George Russell of Mercedes completing the top five.

It meant Norris had ended Verstappen's four-year F1 domination albeit with only a two-point advantage over the Red Bull driver. Piastri was a further 11 points behind Verstappen.

Norris become the 11th British driver to win the world championship, having clinched his maiden crown in Abu Dhabi, and the first since Lewis Hamilton in 2020. It is McLaren's first drivers' and constructors' title double since 1998.

"I haven't cried in awhile, I didn't think I would cry but I did," Norris said on the podium at a floodlit Yas Marina. "I want to thank my mum, my dad, they've supported me since the beginning.

"It feels amazing, I know now what Max feels like a little bit. I want to congratulate both Max and Oscar, I've enjoyed it, it's been a long year!" he added.

Norris needed only to be in the top three at the Yas Marina Circuit to seal the crown, and he duly obliged with an impressive drive - which even saw him face a stewards' investigation for driving off the road when he passed Max Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Norris escaped punishment and even though Verstappen won the race from pole position - to end the season with more victories than anyone else - it was not enough to derail his McLaren rival's championship charge.

"I had no idea [about that]," continued Norris. "I don't care. I knew what I did was fine so I had nothing to worry about.

"I am trying to enjoy the moment because not many people can experience what I have experienced this year so I am crazy happy for everyone and for me.

Assessing his road to victory, Norris added: "As we've seen many times, anything can happen. So I just kept pushing. I wanted to fight to the end. [Verstappen and Piastri] certainly did not make my life easy this year. But I am happy!

"It has been a long journey with McLaren, I've been with them for nine years. For me to bring something back to them, I feel like I did my part for the team this year so I'm proud of myself. I'm even more proud for everyone who I hopefully made cry.

"It is incredible and pretty surreal. I dreamed of this for a long, long time, I mean everyone does. A lot goes into a season like this, a lot of ups and downs but none of that matters as long as you come out on top and that is what we managed to do.

"It has been the last 16 to 17 years of my life chasing this dream and today we did it.

"When I was on the back foot this year, that is when I did my best and showed the best of me and I did what I needed to do today.

"I have got a lot of people here and I need to embarrass them on a day like today and put smiles on a few faces. I love you mum, dad, family. This is for my mum and my dad because they let me chase this dream and I have to share it with them."

Piastri, who had led the championship for much of the season before being overtaken by Norris in Mexico, finished third in the standings.

Sunday's season-closer was the first time the title was decided by a contest involving more than two drivers since a four-way scrap at the final race in Abu Dhabi in 2010.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown said he was "unbelievably proud" of his team and the two drivers. "A lot of people said that it was going to be impossible to pull off, it's just a dream racing with these two guys," he said. "Oscar and Lando have been awesome all year; this Max guy is pretty hard to beat.

"So well deserved from everyone, can't wait to get back to the factory and celebrate with the entire team. We have a great group here, but we have a lot of men and women back at McLaren.

"To us, it's the right way to go racing with two awesome racing drivers. Very proud of how everyone conducted themselves, the teamwork, the highs and lows, and how we dealt with the lows.

"The teamwork and everyone at McLaren have done such an amazing job, great pit stops today, great strategy."